Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-10-07

others secret safe at the rlsl; ana sacrince or
LIS OWN lie, and that the secret Of the person
U'.' gave him tni' money was sacred and
..'i ry'Y be baptized in blood He had
.'.,.ou au hour and was now about 81 attack
the evidence and try 10 prove shat t''s ''s
'i-c of mistaken identity, and that pIDD....
I!eriiettN and Suzanne had seen some one
whom they imagined from q resemblance 10
Roger to he him, and that it was an easy
matter to I've mistaken, under such circum-
stances and in the excitement, when one Of
the officers of the court handed him q small
note marked "Important; read Mt once"
Even while continuing hi, speech Luccn
uuencl tho motto and the envelope fell TN
hccdcd to the floor Still speaking he opened
out the sheet which bore but few lines in an
unknown handwriting, and then he took up
a glass OF water and read Us he drank. AT
first he did not understand It. This was
what it containcd
you undertake the defense Of Roger In
rogue You speak OF his honor In keeping
silence about the money and who paid him.
Go home and asl, your wife, Or, better still,
ask her lover, whose life you nip trying to
save"
This letter was from Luvcr>an, who feared
that Roger might escape.
Now, rs by lghtnngS flash, Lucien saw
all knew all. All that had been ineXplicablo
before was explained. And the light came
so suddenly that he fell backward to a seat
and remained there for a moment as if dead.
When he arose again, with the help Of the
goudarmes, he looked Ike corpse, only THAI
he moved
lie turned to Roger, and murmured but
two words
"mramous tuani"
-Lucicnf s1i4 Roger
'Lool, me- julia, husband, your friend, in
the face"
Fer onsw,r Roger hi his eyes in both lis
h2ude and bowel hi, head in silence. Lucieu
was answered.
Lu.isn Thought III, a.oluau. !'aa for
Roger hal 'e..ai, but Aa diuiy felt ta.t na
must prorrri K, must continue He VS.
here t3 save Roger from the accusation of
the crime he dill not commit, not to condemn
him for the one hn had AZ least he could DO
his duty, but he felt something @i2e way il
his brain. He rose tn the o'ca,.on mud hi,
duty, aud began aglin his iHt"Tnolri nd
dr,a- though hi voice wa, lo.rsa and faint
I.epo,o Yourself q l..,,' sad the presi-
dent
Bat Luci,n sAoos his head. lie now lnew
all, and Rogers innocence Of this crime CONF
| mand"l hi, best elrol.'. The rest ccuai como
aftcrwarl
lie spoke and his voice and heart grow
| strong together and that vast audience hung
| brclthl-,a upon hi; words, and into them be
| put 50 mn Of his own dcspair that every
heart melted. Roger heard nothing Of ali
this Those two awful words resoundod like
tAuuGcroU~ reverborations through bis BRAN,
doadauius every other sound.
But Suddenly ,hat tide of inipl--ioHed
words was checked and then resumed fceLly:
| Il charge you, men OF the Jury, to remem-
her that Roger Laroque is innoco' l know
It. | swear IT, but | cannot dlvuige his secret
And with tue last word Lucicn fell into the
arms Of those nearest bin, and vixen the doc
! tor reached him he said: He is dead; he has
ruptured a blood vessel in his brain"
Roger tried to reach him, but he was held
| firmly III his seat, and when they tod him
Lucien vas dead he burst into an agony Of
sobS, which he vainly tired to stillc. He alone
knew what had been Lucion'5 death blow,
and he felt himself condemned OF God and
man. Already two deaths upon his con-
science Hanriatte'5 and Lucirns. lie wished
to die that he might expiate his sin.
When the president asked him Ii lr had
anything t. add, ne saiI in Il sonoious voice;
II am guilty. Condemn me"
But his measure OF sutT,riugi was not Yet
full. And when the jury, after Short con
,ultation, returned. they gave in their verdict;
Guilty, but with eXtonuating circum-
stances"
So he could not even die Ho was con
demned to the gu!leys for life. Thus he must
expiate his wrong, and he was led away+ hi,
head bowed, and his face that VI an old
| broken down man.